Harry's New Ring
by StrawberryGreen
Summary: A ring has mysteriously appeared on Harry's left hand. Who does this belong to? Ginny's POV. Rated T, just to be safe. Warning: mild/implied SLASH.
1. Chapter 1

**A ring has mysteriously appeared on Harry's left hand. Who does this belong to? Ginny's POV.**

**Disclaimer: I, regrettably, do not own Harry Potter.**

**Yes, I am aware that I make Ginny sound like a crybaby. I also realize that she is not necessarily like this. I just, in case you didn't know, don't like her. Also, I don't know why, but I always feel compelled to have people jump to conclusions constantly. Sorry about that.**

**Also, this is set during Harry's seventh year (Ginny's sixth) and is only compliant up to OOTP. Therefore, Dumbledore's alive, Slughorn was never their teacher, and the war is OVER, Harry having defeated Voldemort during his sixth year.**

:::

_So this is what it feels like to have your heart ripped out_, Ginny thought bitterly. The rumor had reached her at breakfast by Lavender Brown, of all people. And Ginny, having better sense than to just believe every rumor about the Boy-Who-Lived (and goodness knows there were enough of _those_), especially something like this, had gone to confirm it for herself. And she had. It was _true. _Harry Potter did, as of this morning, have an engagement ring on his left hand. More than that, which was devastating enough for the young red-head, it was a wizards engagement ring. Which could only mean one thing: Harry was serious about this. He was going to complete a _bond_ with _wizarding vows_ with whoever it was he was getting _married_ to. And that was serious.

Oh god.

At first it had felt like a slap to the face. Then, she pulled herself together, not wanting to slip into any depression-like state. Again_. _Once she was calm, she got to thinking. She would view this as a... challenge, instead of a surrender. There was no way in hell she was going to just give up on the boy she had been lusting over since she was ten years old, for God's sake. In the meantime, she would just need to figure out who the girl was who had gotten to him first. The she would take her down- using rumors, physical injuries, anything. With that, she gained a determined glint in her eyes as she set off to do some thinking.

A mere ten minutes later, she was in the library. She was immensely glad that it was a Sunday, and a fairly nice day out, therefore she didn't have any classes and the library was fairly empty. She pulled out some parchment, a quill, and ink and set them out on the table. She dipped her quill in the ink, and pulled the parchment closer, setting the point of the quill down at the top of the page. Before she had even started, she ruled out the girls who it couldn't possibly be. From her experiences and conversations with Harry in the past, she was almost one-hundred percent certain that it was not a Slytherin. He probably wouldn't have enough patience for a Ravenclaw, or maybe the Ravenclaws wouldn't have enough patience with him. Either way, she didn't think it was a Ravenclaw. _It could be a Hufflepuff_, she thought sceptically, _but I'm guessing he'd want someone in his own house. I know I would, if I was going to be with them for the rest of my life._ She therefore reviewed his Gryffindor options. There was Lavender, who Ginny knew wasn't the one, or she wouldn't have been spreading the rumor She would've wanted everyone to know about their engagement the second it had happened, anyway. Come to think of it, so would all the other possible Gryffindors, all except...

Hermione.

Tears immediately welled up in Ginny's eyes. _Of course_, she thought, t_hey're so close! It makes sense. Why didn't one of them tell me? And it would explain why Ron looked so sour, too._ Ginny couldn't decide whether to be hurt or angry, so she decided on a mixture of both. Which, she knew for a fact, was fairly frightening (An effect she wanted). She stood up, stuffed her books and quill in her bag, which she flung over her shoulder, and raced out of the library. She was managing to hold in the sobs, though she was shedding tears by now. She sprinted through the hallways, turning corners so sharply that if someone was turning the corner in the other direction, they would collide. Which was what happened. On the turn to the hallway that the Fat Lady's portrait was on, she stormed around the bend (having run out of breath a few corridors back), not paying attention. She barely had time to register a slim, black-clad chest and pale skin before she was sent sprawling to the ground, her bag flying off of her shoulder, hitting the floor, and splitting open at the seems, scattering all her things on the floor. She looked up to see Draco Malfoy looking down at her in distaste, frowning, a pale eyebrow raised. Ginny stared, no, _glared_ at the boy for several charged moments, before standing up and crossing her arms in a way identical to the Slytherin before her. Her eyebrows knitted in confusion. What was Malfoy doing in Gryffindor corridor? She regarded him with suspicion for a moment before deciding to just ask him.

"What are you doing here?"

He looked up from studying his nails. "Pardon?" he asked in a much politer voice than she had thought was possible.

"What are you doing here?" she repeated. He had obviously heard her the first time.

"Oh, a little of this, a little of that," he replied cryptically. He was obviously enjoying himself.

"What the hell do you mean? 'A little of this, a little of that'? Seriou-"

But she was cut off by the sight of Harry Potter rounding the corner behind the blonde, and skidding to a halt. She was surprised when Harry looked at Malfoy and didn't accuse him or glare at him, or, well, anything. He just stood there, looking at him, while Malfoy looked back. After a moment or two of this, he looked away and saw Ginny. His eyes widened.

"Are you alright, Gin?"

_I must look like shit. _"I'm fine," she replied, dragging a sleeve across her still slightly damp eyes. Harry still looked dubious, but seemed to decide not to pursue that right now. He looked down, and upon seeing the books scattered all over the place, looked back up at Malfoy.

"What did you do?" He did not sound angry, but weary, and pinched his bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, closing his eyes.

"Nothing."

"Am I supposed to believe that?"

"Yes."

Harry raised his eyebrows and looked up at him.

"_She_ ran into _me_."

Harry just looked at him, shook his head, and turned back to Ginny, who was now confused at how civil they were acting towards each other.

"Do you need some help picking this up?"

Despite Ginny fervently shaking her head 'no', he stooped down and started gathering her things. She sighed, and with another glare at Malfoy, who for some reason was _still there_, crouched down next to the Boy-Who-Lived. As she was picking scattered quills up and setting them in a pile, she happened to catch a glimpse of Harry's ring. She gasped and almost fell backwards. Harry looked up from his own stack of books, and seeing what she was gaping at, sighed. Ginny, meanwhile, was at a loss for words. Sure, she had gotten a glimpse of it that morning, but only a glimpse, and from a reasonably far distance. This... this was not what she had expected. The ring itself was, in fact, very beautiful. It looked as though the exact shade of green of Harry's eyes had been crafted into a steel string and wound with a dark, smoky gray string in an intricate woven pattern. This was lining the ring, which was a light silver. The woven edging came together at one point on the ring, weaving together to create a small basket-like hole in which a small, but very beautiful, diamond was inlaid. The very sight of it took Ginny's breath away. She felt another round of tears spring to her eyes. Stupid bloody hormones.

After gazing down at it somewhat lovingly for a moment, Harry looked up to see tears in Ginny's eyes. Again.

"Gin? You alright?"

Ginny shook her head slightly. "Harry..."

With that, she stood up and sprinted down the hall, leaving her things, and a very bewildered Harry, behind.

She ran past Malfoy and up to the Fat Lady. She took a deep breath and said the password, pushing past some second years who were giving her odd looks as they were leaving. She stepped into the common room and surveyed the scene before her, looking for Hermione's characteristic bushy hair. Not finding it, she hurried across the room, trying to be inconspicuous, for she had seen her brother, and if he saw her with red, puffy eyes, she would never get rid of him until he knew what had caused them. Most of the time she would just make up an excuse, but she was just too tired to deal with him today. She thought she had been successful, as she was almost to the girls' dorms where she knew Hermione would be. She was about to climb on the first step when she felt a hand on her shoulder, that she instantly knew to be her brother's. _Shit._ She turned around and faced him, crossing her arms.

"What do you want? I'm busy."

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, Ron, I'm fine. Now if you will excuse me, I need to go find Herm-"

"If this is about Harry, she's not going to tell you."

"Like hell she's not! I can't believe they would keep this from me! They can trust me! They didn't think I would find out, huh? Well, I did. And I'm pissed off."

Ron eyebrows knitted in confusion. "Gin... did Harry tell you who...?"

"No! That's part of the issue! I guess they thought I wouldn't figure them out! And I thought Hermione was supposed to be smart!"

"I... I'm not sure you know what you're talking about."

"Of course I know what I'm talking about. Hermione proposed to Harry! And he said yes!" at this, she burst into tears once again. "Umm... Gin. I... you..." he took a deep breath. "It's not her, Gin. Not Hermione." At this, Ron wrapped an arm around her shoulder, ignoring the questions that she was now firing at him. He stayed silent, and led her up to the seventh years' boys dormitory. "Wait here. I'll go get her. She's not gonna tell you, though." Ginny sat on Ron's bed, and tried to stop crying. Once she had taken a few deep breaths, she wiped a sleeve across her damp eyes and tried to organize her thoughts. _Not Hermione... yeah, right. Nice try._ A minute or two later, a concerned-looking Hermione jogged up the stairs, followed closely by Ron. Ginny looked, no, _glared_ at her for a moment before demanding, "Well? Not you, huh? Then who? Tell me that." Hermione, for once in her life, looked genuinely at a loss for words.

"Ginny...," she walked over to where Ginny was sitting, and placed a hand on the other girls knee. "believe me when I tell you I would if I could, but I can't. Harry made us promise not to tell anyone, until they're ready to go public. Really, I wish I could tell you, but..." her face turned determined, "I won't."

At this revelation, Ginny's mind sprinted into overdrive. _Not Hermione... who's left? Unless he's a flaming gay..._ Just then, understanding came to her. _He is! He's a bloody shirt-lifter! _"Hermione, it's a guy, isn't it? I didn't even consider it before. It all makes sense, though..." She stood up, looking somewhat detached, and walked towards the door, only to be blocked by an overly-excited Seamus, who had just appeared in the doorway, toting a serene Dean after him.

"Ginny! To what do we owe the pleasure?"

Rage filled Ginny like a balloon. _He's so cheery. It's him. They live in the same room, for Merlin's sake!_ She turned so that she was facing him directly, smiled sweetly, and...

...punched him in the jaw. He went stumbling backwards, swearing all the way, and was caught by a shocked Dean. Ginny whipped her head around the room, glaring at everything.

"How dare you! Seamus, I knew you were a bloody pouf! You just had to get Harry, didn't you? You're," she walked over to where he was now standing in front of Dean and slapped the Irish boy across the face, "so," a punch to the stomach, "SELFISH!", a knee to the groin. Seamus cried out in pain, falling back into Dean again. Three seconds passed by in which everyone just stared at Ginny, and then...

"Ginny!"

"What'd you do that for?"

"What the hell?!"

"Are you alright, Seamus?"

After the initial outburst, and after they had helped Seamus, who was now sporting a black eye and a bloody nose, not to mention a very painful stomach and groin, over to a bed, Hermione rounded on Ginny.

"Don't just jump to conclusions! Get your facts straight! Its not him! Just because he's _happy_, like he always is, I might add, for goodness sake, does not mean he is engaged to Harry! And do not ever accuse someone of being gay, especially in such a derogatory way, without knowing! You could, and will, insult someone!"

Ginny just stared at her, expression blank, not showing any remorse or sorriness for what she'd done. It had felt good, even if the target was not guilty of anything. With a simple and insincere "sorry" directed in Seamus's general direction, she fled the room. Her brain was, yet again, going a mile a minute. _Seamus is ruled out, so I guess Dean is too. It's not Ron, or Neville. Justin Finch-Fletchley in Hufflepuff? Ernie MacMillan or Terry Boot in Ravenclaw? Zabini in Slytherin, thought that's a stretch. He was, after all, a Slytherin._ Ginny almost laughed, then smirked to herself. _Pouf or not, there's one person who Harry would never love in any way. Malfoy. What a riot. _By now she had made it out of the common room, and was headed to the place where her things still lay, abandoned by both Harry and Malfoy. She took her wand out, and cast a quick reparo on her bag, then packed her stuff in it once more. She stood up and shouldered her bag, jogging down the steps. _Maybe I should just ask Harry... he might actually tell me instead of all of this fucking secrecy that everyone seems so keen of. Yeah, I'll do that. Now, where would he be? Somewhere outside, I'm guessing. Probably the lake or Quidditch field... _she exited the castle, stepping out into a warm autumn day. A glance at the lake told her what she needed to know. The head of messy, ink black hair that was Harry's third most defining characteristic, the first two being his scar and startlingly green eyes, was just visible from this distance. He seemed to be just laying in the grass by himself. Once she had gotten closer, she noticed that his eyes were closed and he seemed to be talking softly to someone, though there was no one there. Not wanting to walk up to him without his noticing, she called out "Harry!" from about fifteen feet away. His eyes popped open, he murmured one last soft comment, and sat up, looking over to Ginny.

"Feeling better?" he asked, referring to the fact that she was no longer crying as she was the last time he saw her.

"I'm alright, I suppose," she replied, taking a spot next to him. They were quiet for a moment before Harry asked, "Do you need something? I don't mean to be rude or anything, but I was trying to get in a nap," he smiled apologetically.

"Well, it's just... Harry, who... who gave you that ring?"

He sighed. He had obviously known she was going to ask this. "Someone I love very, very much. We're just not ready to tell many people yet."

Ginny stared at him, shocked. "You're not going to tell me?" she asked in a small voice. This was not how this was supposed to happen. He was supposed to chuck the ring into the water and say 'Ginny, I love you! I've been so stupid and I don't care about anyone else! Marry me!' Obviously, that was not going to happen.

He shook his head. "I really wish I could, Gin, but I can't. H-they don't want people knowing."

"Hermione and Ron know!"

"Yes, but they're my best friends. It was necessary. Their best friends and my best friends are the only ones that know," he said, in a gentle voice.

Ginny just looked at him, knowing that if she tried to speak, she would snap and explode. Therefore, she just stood up and walked away from the man she loved for the second time that day.

She seemed reasonably calm on the outside, but on the inside she was decidedly _not okay_.

That evening, she decided that she had to know who it was. She wasn't even sure it was a guy anymore, despite the fact that she had been positive earlier. Therefore, she would follow Harry around tomorrow, and make a note of everyone he interacted with at all. There was only one problem. It was Monday tomorrow, meaning classes. There was no way she was waiting until next weekend, and there was no way to follow him without skipping classes. So that's what she decided to do.

At five-thirty the next morning, our heroine could be found drying her hair and getting dressed for the day. She slipped into a tight black shirt and low-cut jeans that were easy to move around in, and tied her hair up. She walked back into her dormitory and sat down on the bed. She would just tell her roommates that she wasn't feeling well... and then sneak out after they all left. She had, unbeknownst to Harry, borrowed his invisibility cloak, which she knew about from Ron a few years ago. She picked up her notebook and quill (which didn't require ink to write, thanks to Hermione), and flipped it open to an empty page. She wrote the day's date at the top of the page and underlined it. Underneath that she wrote in all capitals 'THE SUSPECTS'. That was where she planned to write the names of everyone, and she meant everyone, Harry interacted with that day. She heard a noise coming from behind the curtains of one of her roommates' beds, so she stuck the journal and cloak underneath her pillow and tried to look ill. A few moments later, her roommates were starting to get up. One noticed her and Ginny motioned her over.

"Hey, I don't feel very well..."

About an hour later, Ginny was up and moving. She wrapped the cloak around herself, and slipped on some quiet shoes. She left her dorm and traveled across the now empty common room, making her way to Harry's dorm. She knew for a fact that he and his roommates (including Ron) always left their dorm far later than everyone else, and were always late for breakfast. She crouched down outside their door, and put her ear as close to the crack in between the floor and the bottom of the door as she could manage. She heard fragments of many voices immediately

"... practice tonight? I have to..."

"...I thought she was going out with..."

"...detention tonight, lucky me, right? I hate Snape..."

"...stop! I just got that to look right, you..."

"... not a big deal, really..."

She sighed a little bit and tried to pick out Harry's voice from the other four boys. She pressed her ear even closer to the door. After a moment, she could hear him clearer, which was probably largely due to the fact that as now one of the two people talking. She thought the other was Ron. She concentrated on Harry's.

"Hermione is going to strangle me. I didn't finish that Transfiguration essay last night. Did you, Ron?"

Ron, who had been talking while Harry was, stopped talking.

"Huh?"

"Did you finish Transfiguration?"

"Oh! Umm... no... I... uhh, forgot about it."

Several people laughed.

Ron exclaimed "Hey! It's not funny! McGonagall is going to massacre me!" But he was laughing as well. Ginny rolled her eyes. She would never understand her brother. She was getting lost in her thoughts when she heard something that caught her attention. It sounded like Seamus and Dean.

"Ow! Damn it, everything still hurts."

"I can imagine so! Ginny gave you a right good beating there, last night."

The room was suddenly quiet.

"What?" Harry asked. "Ginny beat you up, Seamus? Why?"

More silence.

"Seamus?"

"Well, you see... she thought that your ring, y'know..."

"What?"

"Ginny thought that I was the one who gave you that ring."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"I'm really sorry, Seamus. I don't know what..."

"It's no big deal. I just need to get a pain potion from Pomfrey before breakfast."

"Are you sure? Is there anything I can do?"

Seamus laughed. "No, mate, I'm good. I do wish you were engaged to me, though." He was clearly joking, but a small surge of jealousy coursed through Ginny.

You could hear the smile in Harry voice when he spoke. "Right. I'm sure you do. I wouldn't marry you, though!" he was also joking.

Seamus made a fake offended sound. "Fine then, if you don't want my love..." the others in the room were chuckling. Then Seamus spoke again. "...Ron! You are my new love! Marry me!" he sighed dramatically. Ginny's brow creased. _I never noticed how weird these guys are... _

"Never, Seamus. I do have a girlfriend, you know."

"Well then, Harry, I'm afraid you are the object of my affection yet again!"

"Oh, Merlin." Harry sighed. He then yelled as something- possibly some_one_- crashed to the floor.

"Ow, Seamus! That hurt!"

"You're just so adorable!" Ginny's eyes narrowed.

Dean then yelled, "Stop molesting him! I'm sure his lover wouldn't like that." Ginny's eyes narrowed even more. _Molesting?_

"Yeah, get off! I am a taken man!"

Seamus sighed, and sniffed comically. "I may be forced to find someone else, then!"

Harry chuckled. "You do that. Now if you'll please..."

The boys resumed their loud chatter, and Ginny had to jump back to avoid getting hit by the door as they left moments later.

Ron left first, looking hungry. Then came Neville and Dean, still talking, with Harry behind them. Seamus was waking directly behind Harry and would occasionally blow on the back of the brunette's neck, ducking when Harry swatted at him. Ginny felt like punching him again, but did not want to give away her position. She followed them down the stairs, through the common room, and through the portrait hole. When they were in the corridor on the way to Madam Pomfrey's, she wrote the names Seamus Finnegan, Dean Thomas, Neville Longbottom, and Ron Weasley on her list. She decided not to cross anyone out of the list yet, choosing instead to do that tonight, all at once. They reached the door to the infirmary, and Seamus and Dean went inside, while Harry, Ron, and Neville waited outside. Harry and Ron were talking about Quidditch when there was a small break in conversation. Neville said, in a small voice, "Harry?" Harry looked up.

After a moment, Neville said, "I just want you to know that I'm really happy for you. You seem so happy these days. I'm sure whoever it is deserves you." he smiled slightly.

Ron snorted.

Harry shot his best friend a look before turning to Neville. "Thank you. That means a lot to me, it really does."

Just then Seamus and Dean returned, and Seamus announced that even though the potion had tasted like vomit and he suspected that Madam Pomfrey gave him the worst tasting one possible on purpose, he was now feeling much better. They set off toward the Great Hall, Seamus once again pestering Harry, this time by smacking his arse every few minutes. Harry would frown and swat his hand away before returning to talk to whomever it was he was talking to.

Ginny, meanwhile, was glaring daggers at the boy. _How dare he do that to Harry? And why was Harry tolerating it this much?_ She wanted to cry out in frustration. After the fifth arse-whack, Ron looked over at Seamus and said, "God, you are such a flirt."

Seamus just grinned. "I know. It's fun." He demonstrated this by smacking Ron's arse, then Harry's again.

Ron whipped his wand out, half joking. "Don't touch me, Finnegan."

"Okidoke, Weasley." he stuck out his tongue at Ron briefly before turning back to Harry. "Haaaaarrrryyyyyy, can I have a piggyback ride? Pleaseeeeee?"

Dean and Neville just laughed as Harry sighed. "No, Seamus."

"Whyyyy?"

Ginny had her wand out and was about to curse the stupid git as a group of Slytherins walked by, Malfoy leading. Next to him were Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson. They seemed to hear Seamus whine about something, because Malfoy raised an eyebrow, and looked over just in time to see Seamus smack Harry's bum again. Ginny was too furious to notice the glare Malfoy was also sending toward the Irishman. Blaise and Pansy exchanged meaningful looks, which Ginny also missed. She did not, however, miss the lack of insults. She thought about this as her anger subsided (Harry had finally told Finnegan to stop smacking him or else suffer from many painful curses and hexes). She had, as had everyone else, noticed the fights between the two rivals over the entire course of their school life. Now that those were gone, she was left feeling confused. _Hmm... maybe they just grew up?_ She mentally shrugged, and continued perusing the group of Gryffindors, adding Malfoy, Zabini, and Parkinson to the list just because. When they finally made it to the Great Hall, Ginny was relieved She could finally do what she had skipped today for. She followed the boys to the Gryffindor table, and stood behind Harry, making sure to jot down everyone who said 'hello' or 'good morning' to him (Hermione, Parvati, Colin and Denis Creevey, Lavender, and Romilda Vane). After the greetings, Ron spoke up, his eyebrows knitted together, and he said the words Ginny hoped she would not hear anyone say. She did not want to get caught.

"Where's Ginny?"

One of her roommates looked up at her name, and said, "Oh, she's not feeling well. She didn't feel sick enough to go to Madam Pomfrey, but she insisted on staying in bed. It was kind of suspicious, actually."

Ginny groaned a little. She had been suspicious? Damn.

Harry cocked his head to the side in a way that Ginny found quite cute. "I wonder what's gotten into her? She was very... emotional yesterday. She usually has such a strong hold on her emotions." Ginny almost snorted. _Emotional? Yeah, right. I was practically in hysterics the whole day!_

Hermione's eyebrows raised a fraction. "Do you really not know, Harry?"

Harry looked confused. Hermione sighed, then continued, "She _fancies_ you, Harry. Always has, probably always will." Ginny blushed.

Harry face turned slightly pink. "Well, I- I'm getting married!" he lowered his voice when he realized he had nearly shouted that. "She needs to understand that she doesn't have a chance with me anymore. I just don't know how to tell her that I am in love with someone. Someone who's not her."

A few people shook their heads, looking truly sympathetic. Ginny, however, thought she was about to start crying. She hadn't heard him say anything like that before, say it so... cruelly. She knew he didn't know she was there, and he didn't mean to be hurtful, but she was still hurt. She sniffed louder than she had meant to, and Hermione's head snapped up. She looked directly over Harry's head, at the spot Ginny was standing in. _Oh, shit. She heard me._ Hermione stared, suspicious for a moment, then slowly went back to her food. Ginny sighed a little, very thankful that she had not been discovered- yet. She decided to be more focused in her effort to not be discovered. Feeling satisfied, she went back to listening to the conversation going on around Harry.

"So, Harry," Lavender said, drawing his attention. "When are you and your, uhmm, partner going to go public?" she giggled. Parvati rolled her eyes. "What she _means_ is, when are you going to tell us who it is?"

Harry shifted in his seat. Ginny frowned. This was something she had wanted to know herself.

"Well- I'm not sure. I mean, we've discussed it plenty, but... we just can't decide. At first, it was going to be yesterday, when I... started wearing this," he held up his left hand for a moment, then et it drop back into his lap, "but we decided against it after some thought. I'm not really sure what the current plan is, but personally, I hope it's soon. I hate all this bloody secrecy, but they feel it's necessary, so..." he shrugged. Lavender frowned a little, but turned back to chatting with her friends. Ron, who was sitting next to Harry, leaned over and whispered something in the brunette's ear. Ginny moved closer, trying to hear, but the noise level in the Great Hall was too loud. The only words she caught were "not decided", which she deemed useless clues.

Breakfast moved quickly from that point on, with no more mention of Harry's engagement. When they were finished, Harry, Ron and Hermione made their way out of the Hall and toward their first class of the day- Transfiguration. Ginny was having trouble hearing what they were saying, but kept hearing the word "ring". She was very curious as to why they were talking about Harry's ring, but had no way to find out, as the hallways were so tightly packed and she was concentrating very hard on not running in to people or getting uncovered. She breathed a small sigh of relief when they reached the Transfiguration classroom. She thought she saw Hermione look around, but decided she had imagined it out of paranoia. Ginny followed the Trio to the back of the room, sidling between their chairs and the wall to stand right behind Harry. Before the sixth years in front of her could start whispering again, McGonagall waked in, and class started.

By the time their Transfiguration lesson was over, Ginny was bored stiff. It had not been a practical lesson, just one on information about transfiguring large mammals into furniture, and back again. Ginny hadn't found it very entertaining. She strained to hear where they were headed next, while writing down everyone who said "hi" to him in the hall. She learned that they had Charms next, with Ravenclaw. Hopefully this will give me more information, she thought. As they entered, Professor Flitwick looked up, and called Harry over. Ron and Hermione began to follow him over, but Harry just waved them over to a table. They sat down, while Harry walked over to the tiny Professor, Ginny following.

"Yes, Professor?" Harry asked, looking confused and a little apprehensive, like he thought he might be in trouble for something.

"Harry, m'boy, how are you?"

"I'm... alright, and yourself?" Harry told him, looking even more confused now.

"I'm fine. Well, Harry, the reason I called you over is because I, and some of my colleagues, wonder if you know what's the best path for your life to take right now." he said, being far to cryptic for Harry's taste. Flitwick then continued, seeing the look on Harry's face, "Your engagement to your... partner, Mr. Potter. We're concerned that you may be rushing into things. Now, I am aware that you may feel like we have no business in your personal matters- and we don't- but please heed our message, take it into serious consideration." Ginny's eyebrows rose. _The teachers know who it it?_

Harry smiled a little bit. "Professor, I know you mean well, but I am happier than I have ever been in my entire life. I appreciate your concern, and I promise to think about it, but... I highly doubt I will change my mind."

Flitwick sighed, seeming to have known this was the answer he was going to get. "Very well, then, Mr. Potter. You may have a seat."

Harry waked over to the table Hermione and Ron were sitting at, and dropped his things beside the seat in between the two. Ginny crept after him, thinking about the new information she had heard. She stopped in front of the three, and crouched down to hear what they were saying.

"What did she want?" Hermione asked. Ron nodded, looking over at Harry expectantly.

Harry sighed. "The teachers are concerned about my choice. They think I'm rushing into things, stuff like that."

Hermione nodded. "I suspected it was something like that. I mean, it was obvious that one of them would say something to you about it. A lot of them are in the Order, you know. They can't be happy about your partner choice. I was surprised when Dumbledore accepted it."

Ginny's mind was currently going lightning speed. _The Order wouldn't like it...? But, the only people the Order doesn't like are Death Eater, and Harry would never marry a Death Eater, no matter what. Right?_

Harry then chuckled, breaking Ginny out of her thoughts. He had apparently remembering something. "Yeah, I was too. He just did that weird twinkling eye thing, congratulated us, and then that was it."

Ron shook his head a little. "There is something off about him. I always knew there was."

Harry and Hermione laughed a bit, and Ginny stood up. She walked quietly over to the wall and sat down, as Flitwick had just started their lesson. She thought she saw Hermione glance in her direction again, but when she blinked, the older girl was facing the front of the room. _I must be paranoid. I mean, I'm under the cloak!_

This lesson passed without incident as well, it being another notes-only class. When it was over, Ginny was starting to feel the effects of no breakfast. She seriously regretted not thinking about that beforehand now. The seventh years passed by her then, so she hurried after them.

As Ginny was walking next to Harry, who was on his way to the Great Hall for lunch, she felt a jerk on the back of the cloak, and was then pulled sideways and into a nearby broom closet The door to the closet was slammed shut, and the cloak was pulled off rather roughly.

"Ginny! _What_ do you think you're doing?"

:::

**Well, I hope you like it so far!**

**The next part probably won't be up for a few days... I'm not sure, though.**

**Please review! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Mwahaaaa! Only a little over a day, thankyouverymuch!**

**Whoops, I just noticed that in the first chapter I had McGonagall call the _sixth_ years to order, but it really should have been the _seventh_ years.**

**Warning: I forgot to put this on the first chapter. This contains mild SLASH. Male/male relationships! There will be nothing graphic, but if the idea freaks you out... You have been warned.**

**Also, thank you to the few who reviewed! They make me so happy! :)**

:::

Ginny was still getting over the shock of being pulled sideways into a broom closet when her kidnapper started yelling at her.

"Ginny! _What_ do you think you're doing?"

Ginny cringed. _Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no. Why did _she_ have to figure me out? _

"I cannot believe you! Skipping class, stealing Harry's cloak, stalking him! I just-"

"I'm not stalking him!"

"Really? Then what do you call what you've been doing all day?" Hermione put her hands on her hips, in a way that reminded Ginny of her mother. It was very frightening.

"Following to gather information."

"Information? Information about what?"

Ginny held her parchment a little closer to her body. Hermione seemed to notice this, but left it alone for now. "Information on... suspects?" She said, not able to think of anything else.

Hermione, if it was possible, was even angrier. "Suspects? For Harry's fiancé? I don't even know what to say to that!"

"Then don't say anything, and leave me alone!" Ginny hissed, starting toward the door. Before she could open it, Hermione had locked it and summoned Ginny's wand. Ginny sighed in annoyance and turned back around. "What?"

"Ginny, they're going to tell you! You don't have to do this, don't have to stalk him like a psychopath!"

"I'm. Not. Stalking. Him." Ginny told her through clenched teeth.

"Yes, you are."

"Fine. If that's what you want to call it, then fine. But you know, if you would just tell me who it is, I wouldn't have to!" she yelled.

"I can't tell you! It's going to be bad enough when they tell you! Hearing it from me will not help, and it would make them angry at me!"

"You can't even give me a clue, an initial, _something_? I'm sure it's not that bad!"

"No! Though I'm surprised you haven't figured it out already..." she frowned. "Have you been following us all day?"

Ginny nodded. Hermione gave her a look that said it should have been obvious."It's very hard to hear in crowded hallways!" Ginny defended.

Hermione frowned, and then folded up the cloak, placing it in her bag. Ginny glared. "Now, you are coming with me. We are going back to Gryffindor Tower, where you will stay in bed, because you are supposed to be sick. I'm not going to turn you in, but if I discover you left your dormitory again, I will not hesitate in telling Professor McGonagall!"

Ginny pouted, but did not say anything, knowing that there was no way she was going to get out of this one.

"Now, I shouldn't even have to tell you this, but stealing is bad, Ginny. Just like stalking, lying, and skipping classes! I hope you don't think this is the way to solve your problems."

Ginny was getting angry that Hermione was treating her like a five-year-old. "You don't have to say it like that, you know. Like I'm five. I'm sixteen Hermione, I can tell right from wrong!"

"Apparently you can't!"

"You obviously don't know what it feels like to have your heart shattered into a million pieces! He was supposed to choose me! I was supposed to marry him! The perfect storybook wedding, with a handsome groom and a beautiful bride! I wish... I wish I had never loved him." she had been crying for most of this speech, and now she was sobbing. Hermione truly had no idea what to do.

Ginny, however, continued her tirade "I know you'll get your wedding, Hermione. Your stunning, white wedding. With someone famous, someone intelligent, like you. Someone like Harry." her voice broke on 'Harry'. Hermione looked truly pitying, and hugged her. Ginny felt anger bubbling up inside of her. She pushed Hermione away. "I don't want your pity! I don't want anyone's pity. That's all I've been getting, recently. From Harry, from Ron, from my room mates, from you! Hell, even from Malfoy!"

When Hermione spoke a moment later, she was quiet. "I don't know what you want me to do, Gin."

"Tell me who it is! Then I won't be lashing out at people, I won't beat anyone else up, I won't yell at them."

"But you'll do those things to his partner. I know you will. You know you will. I don't want that to start any sooner that Harry thinks it should. I'm not going to talk to you about this any more. You can have your wand back, but not the cloak. I'll give that back to Harry later."

"Don't tell him I took it! He already hates me enough."

"He doesn't-"

"I heard what he said at breakfast."

"You know he didn't mean it like that! He doesn't hate you, he's concerned about you, concerned about your behavior!"

"You know he was lying."

Hermione frowned a little bit, handed Ginny back her wand, unlocked the closet, and left. Ginny sighed again. She seemed to be doing that a lot of that lately. This was a major set back in her plan, though. _At least she didn't actually escort me back to Gryffindor, because I know one thing_, Ginny thought, already formulating another plan, _and that is_ _I am not spending the rest of the day in bed. _She left the closet, looking around. It looked like almost everyone was at lunch now. She shrunk her parchment and quill, and stuck them in her pocket. She jogged in the direction of the Great Hall, but before she could get there, she ran into somebody blonde- again. She looked up, awaiting the sneer, but instead she saw someone much more familiar.

"Luna!" Ginny cried, standing up and trying to regain her breath. "I'm so sorry about that! Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Ginny looked down and noticed that Luna was wearing a new necklace today. This one looked like a giant rock in the shape of an 'L'. There were colors moving around on the inside- or outside, Ginny wasn't really sure- and it looked a lot like a mood necklace.

"Ooh," Ginny said, taking a closer look, "Is that one of those mood necklaces? It's gorgeous."

"Oh, no. When it's very bright, that means there are many invisible creatures around."

"I see." Ginny said, smiling.

A talk with Luna was enough to take your mind off of anything. That is, until she mentioned the very thing you were trying not to think about.

"Have you seen Harry Potter's ring? I believe it has the right properties to count as a Hopnipeck repellent."

Ginny smile turned fake as this sentence turned her thoughts back to Harry, and to what she should be doing. She was thinking of how to escape, when Luna started talking about the 'Hopnipeck' and why his ring would make a good repellent for one. Ginny wasn't really listening; she did not want to talk about this with Luna.

"Really?" she said after Luna finished a thought on the effects of a Hopnipeck's venom, or pus, or whatever it was. "Well, I better get going. I'm not feeling too well, and..." she didn't bother finishing her sentence as she walked swiftly in the opposite direction.

She took a roundabout way to the Great Hall, and finally came to the open door. She took a deep breath, and tried her best to look sick. She stepped in and looked around. _Nobody paying attention to me. Good._ She headed over to the Gryffindor table, looking for a spot near Harry. She had somehow arrived earlier than both Hermione and Ron, which meant there was a spot open both next to Harry and across from him. She chose the one next to him.

When she sat down, Harry looked up from his plate, smiling. He saw Ginny and froze, apparently chocking on whatever he was eating. "Ginny!" he said, once he had stopped choking. "I thought you were sick!" he looked confused.

"I am," she replied, trying to look like she actually was. "I just got hungry, so I decided to come down and have some lunch. I'm heading right back up when I'm done." she smiled.

"Oh. That's... good." he finished, somewhat awkwardly. Ginny could tell she was weirding him out a bit, but she didn't want to move. She liked sitting next to Harry. They sat in silence for a minute or two before they heard Hermione come in. She was explaining the process of making a particularly difficult potion the seventh years were working on with a Ravenclaw third year. When she had finished, she waved at the girl, and then headed over to the Gryffindor table. She was smiling, and was about to say something when she saw who was sitting next to Harry. She froze, and a look of confusion passed over her face, which was very unusual for Hermione. Harry noticed this, and cocked his head to the side a bit.

"You okay?" he asked her as she was sitting down across the table, having broken out of her reverie a few seconds ago.

"Yeah. Sorry about that, I just thought I had... forgotten a step in the potion I was explaining to Emma a moment ago."

"Oh. Do you mind explaining it to me too, then? I am completely lost on that one."

"Sure, later." she then turned to Ginny. "Why are you here? Why aren't you in bed?" she asked her, obviously very close to going to McGonagall.

"I was hungry. Besides, I'm going back to bed right after I'm finished. Right, Harry?"

Harry smiled and nodded, glancing over at Ginny before looking back down at his plate. He looked up a moment later and asked Hermione, "Where's everyone else?"

"Well, Ron and-" she glanced at Ginny, "-Seamus are dropping their things in the common room, Neville's talking to Professor Sprout about something, Dean's... somewhere, and Lavender, Parvati, and Padma are swooning over the picture of Malfoy that Colin Creevey took last week- you know the one, where he's on his broom, in his Quidditch things, and there's all the wind, and-"

"Yes." Harry was frowning and looked annoyed. _Annoyed about what? Creevey got a good picture of Malfoy, so what? He never gets angry over things like that. _Hermione gave him a sheepish smile.

"Anyway, Ron and Seamus should be here any moment, it usually doesn't take this long. I wonder what they're doing. Maybe they're talking to someone..."

"Are you talking about us?" Ron's voice called out from behind Ginny. She turned around and saw her brother and Seamus walking toward them, apparently having not seen her yet. Seamus sat down on the other side of Harry, and Ron walked around the table and sat down next to Hermione. Ginny turned back around and focused on her food, trying to block out _his _voice- Seamus's voice. He was so loud that she had no luck with that. He was currently complaining about the headache he had, and was talking so fast that it sounded like one sentence.

"Ihaven'tfeltwellsinceyesterdaywhenwellyouknowwhenanywayIgotapainpotionfromPomfreythismorningbutitonlyworkeduntilabouthalfofCharmswasoverI'llneedtogoseeheragainShe'llprobablygivemetheterriblestuffagainIdon'tevenseewhyshecouldn'thavegivenmethecherryonethattastesgoodIwouldjustdrinkthatstuffifyoucouldbutyoucan'tsoIcan'tmaybeIshoulddothatforalivingyouknowmassproducethestuff-"

The others, who usually sat near him and were used to this, could apparently follow his speech. It was driving Ginny, who usually sat with her other friends down the table, completely insane. After a minute or two, Seamus seemed to have stopped long enough to eat. Ginny was just about to say something to Harry when he started up again.

"rightImeanIwouldbuyitifsomeonedidthatwouldn'tyourightwellTransfigurationtodaywasbloodyboringdon'tyouthinkImeanMcGonagalljustdronesonandonbutobviouslyshecan'tevengetnearBinnswiththatkindofthingsandCharmswasboringtodaytooFlitwickshouldreallymoveonanddosomeotherjobImeanteachingsallrightforhimbutSnapenowaywhydoesheeventeachifhedoesn'tevenlikekidsespeciallyyouHarryandyouRonandNevilletoowhereisNevillebythewayanywaysitdoesn'tmakesense."

Ginny's mouth was practically hanging open by this point. _How can anyone talk so fast? And how do they understand him?_

"Harry! How'smyfavoriteGryffindorwhosleepsinthesamedormwho'salsotheBoy-Who-Livedandoneofmybestfriends?"

Harry chuckled. "I'm alright, Seamus. How are you?"

Seamus now had his arms locked around Harry's middle in a sort of sideways hug. Ginny glared at his arms.

"I'mgreatHarryexceptforthewholeheadachethingbutotherthanthatIfeelgreat!"

Ginny frowned, as Seamus had just rested his head on Harry's shoulder. She was reaching into her pocket to get her wand when she felt something hard hit her shin under the table. She looked across the table to see Hermione looking at her, her face clearly portraying 'not amused'. Her eyes were warning Ginny to not do anything, or she would be in more trouble than she already was. Ginny took her hand out of her pocket, leaving her wand there. She glared over at Hermione and then back at Seamus, who either didn't know she was there or was just ignoring her. She rolled her eyes, then looked down at her plate and started picking apart a piece of the sandwich she had been eating. She looked up a minute later when she heard Harry protesting something, and at the precise moment she looked up, Seamus planted a kiss on the corner of Harry's mouth.

Ginny's vision immediately went red, and she stood up, pointing her wand at Seamus. She vaguely heard Hermione and Harry shouting something but it didn't register. She was too busy trying to get at Seamus. After the initial wand-point, someone had taken it upon themselves to grab the wand out of her hands. She lunged, and tackled Seamus to the ground. A moment later somebody pulled her off of Seamus, who was looking shocked. She was pulled up by the waist, and then set down on the table bench, still seething. She hadn't managed to hit Seamus more than once or twice, as he was taller and weighed more than her. She hadn't realized she had been screaming "I hate you, Seamus, you whore!" until someone put their hand over her mouth. It was then that she realized the entire hall had gone silent except for her small sobs. A moment later, Snape descended upon them.

"Miss Weasley, what is the meaning of this?"

Ginny just continued to cry into her newly freed hands.

"Miss Weasley!"

"I don't think she's going to answer." Ron said, standing a few feet away.

Snape glared at him. "Five points from Gryffindor. Miss Weasley, if you will not answer me I am taking more house points away than I originally intended. Do you want your house to _owe_ me points?"

Ginny hiccuped, then said, "S-sorry. Lost- lost control."

Snape frowned down at her. "I can see that. Now, that will be forty points from Gryffindor for disrupting lunch, and a detention next Saturday night." He glared at the surrounding Gryffindors. "One of you take her back up to Gryffindor Tower before she has another meltdown."

As he was walking away, Hermione bent down next to Ginny. "Gin, are you alright? I'm taking you back up to your dorm now. Come on."

Ginny was aware of everyone staring at her back as she walked out of the Great Hall with Hermione.

"He hates me."

"No, he doesn't."

"He thinks I'm insane."

"No, Gin."

"He'll never talk to me again."

"Yes he will!"

"He's going to avoid me like the plague."

"No, he won't!"

"Fine then. Everyone hates me."

"I don't. And I'm sure nobody else does."

"Seamus does. Everyone thinks I'm insane."

"No, he doesn't. And I don't think you're insane. I just think your hormones got a little... out of control."

"Nobody's going to talk to me ever again."

"Of course they will! I am right now!"

"Everyone's going to avoid me like the plague."

"Ginny, are you really going to lie here and do this all day?"

Ginny nodded into her pillow.

"I'll go get Ron, if I need to."

Ginny groaned. "Please don't. I don't want to talk to anybody right now. Or ever. Ever would be good."

"You know you have to."

"No."

"Yes, Ginny."

"No."

Hermione sighed. "I'm getting Ron and Harry and Neville and Dean and Parvati and Lavender and Luna and Malfoy to come up here if you don't do something other than sulk soon."

Ginny ignored the first names, and focused on the last. "Malfoy's here? Why?"

"No, he's not here. The point was that if you don't do something, I'll go get him from Slytherin or where ever he may be."

"Oh. Fine then. Get them."

"Okay." Hermione stood up and started for the door. Ginny groaned, realizing that Hermione was stubborn enough to actually do it. "Hermione, wait. I'll do something."

Hermione grinned smugly and plopped down on Ginny's bed again. "So, what are you going to do?"

"Work on my list."

"List?"

"Hmm," was Ginny's only reply. She took the list and her quill out of her pocket and grew them back to normal again. Hermione leaned over to see what it was, and then gasped.

"Ginny!"

"Yeah?"

"Is that the list?"

"Mmhmm."

Hermione's mouth was hanging open. "Oh my god, Ginny. You kept it?"

"Of course." Ginny set to thinking more, to see if she left anybody off of the list.

"_I'm_ on there?"

"Yeah. You talked to him."

Hermione had, apparently, just decided that instead of freaking out she should try to view this as an outsider. Ginny smirked to herself.

"It's pretty short. And mostly boys."

"Yeah."

"All Gryffindors, except Malfoy, Zabini, and Parkinson."

"Yup."

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"How are you going to eliminate people?"

"I don't know. Do you _swear_ it's not you?"

"Yes, Ginny."

Ginny put a line through Hermione's name.

"Hmm..." she bit the end of her quill, thinking. "The Creevey brothers are definitely not it. They're too... fanclub-esque"

She drew a line through both 'Denis Creevey' and 'Colin Creevey'.

"Seamus... Dean... Ron... Neville... Malfoy... Zabini... Parkinson... Parvati... Lavender... Romilda..." she muttered, thinking of how to do this.

"Not Neville, that I just know. Or Ron, he would have told the family. Besides, he's got a crush on you." Hermione's cheeks turned pink, "Not Dean. Parkinson, Zabini, and Malfoy are all too... proud, with all that Pure-Blood crap, but I'm not going to eliminate them- yet. Romilda is also a no, for the same reason as the Creeveys. And Lavender was the one who told me about the rumor..."

She drew a line through Ron, Dean, Neville, Romilda and Lavender's names.

"Seamus... Malfoy... Zabini... Parkinson... Parvati... Seamus... Malfoy... Zabini... Parkinson... Parvati... Seamus... Malfoy... Zabini... Parkinson... Parvati..."

Hermione watched the entire process silently, intrigued by Ginny's course of thinking. After several minutes of hearing Ginny mutter the same five names over and over, Hermione spoke. "You do know that it could be someone who you didn't see him talk to, right?"

"Mmhmm. These are just my leads."

Hermione nodded. "Well, I really shouldn't miss any more class. Bye, Ginny. I'll come get you for dinner."

Ginny just nodded absently, deep in thought.

Ginny watched Hermione walk in, look around, pick up her note, read it, and give an aggravated sigh. She then checked her bag for the Invisibility Cloak Ginny had nicked earlier that day. Hermione then spoke to the room in general.

"Ginny, if you're there, please don't do this again. I'm not going to turn you in, or tell anyone, but don't get caught and don't do anything stupid."

Ginny grinned. She was currently standing next to one of her roommate's beds, under the Invisibility Cloak. _Maybe the note was a little rough_, she thought. _Writing 'I'm going again, don't try to stop me. I need to see what my episode has done to everyone. Don't tell anybody. Love, Gin.' was hardly very explanatory._

Hermione stopped just inside the door, and said, without turning around, "And I hope you don't have that foolish list with you."

Ginny almost laughed. _Of course I have the list._

She walked out of her dorm, and down into the common room. There were people everywhere and there seemed to be only one topic of conversation: Ginny and her breakdown. Seamus and Harry, who were sitting together on the couch, were the ones being questioned the most. She walked along the wall, making her way over to the fireplace so that she could hear the answers they were giving people. Seamus had a small bruise on his cheek, but other than that he seemed fine. Ginny suspected she would feel bad about beating up the boy twice- later. There was no way she felt any morsel of remorse for what she did, at the moment.

Just then, Harry said, "Alright, everyone." Once the noise level had gone down significantly, he continued. "We're all wondering why she did what she did, but Seamus and I don't know, so leave us alone! We don't know anymore than you do."

"You know who you're engaged to!" someone in the crowd shouted.

Harry smirked. "Yes, I do. But that probably has nothing to do with Ginny. So if you'll please..."

The crowd around them began to dissipate

"Thank Merlin," Harry said, looked thoroughly stressed out. "Finally."

Seamus just nodded, closing his eyes and leaning his head back. He spoke a few minutes later. Ginny stepped closer to observe the boys.

"Sorry about that whole thing. It was my fault. And don't even try to say it wasn't. It was. I shouldn't have kissed you." he looked determined not to look into Harry's eyes while saying this. Ginny frowned. _That's new. He's not being as aggressive..._

"Seamus... it's fine. I don't know what's gotten into her recently."

"I didn't even know she was there!" he laughed, now actually looking at Harry. "She was so quiet, until she started yelling at me, that is, and I thought she was up in her room!"

"Trust you to not notice someone with flaming red hair." Harry snorted.

Seamus laughed again, then sighed.

"Seriously, though, if you kiss me again, and this is not because I don't like you, but I think my fiancé just might strangle you. We talked after dinner, and they weren't very happy with you _or_ Ginny. I had to promise to make it up to them later." he winked, as Seamus chuckled again. _Shit_,Ginny thought. _I helped Harry get a shag with someone. Great._

"When are you going to tell me who it is?"

Harry sighed, but smiled. "You'll know when everyone else finds out."

"I don't get an early hint or anything?"

"Nope."

"Damn you, Harry Potter."

Harry laughed.

Ginny sulked. _Now I know it's not Seamus, either. _She walked back up to her dormitory, took the cloak off, changed into her pajamas, and climbed into bed. She took out her list and quill.

She crossed out Seamus's name.

A little while later, she fell asleep, thinking, _Malfoy... Zabini... Parkinson... Parvati... Malfoy... Zabini... Parkinson... Parvati... Malfoy... Zabini... Parkinson... Parvati..._

:::

**Mercurial!Ginny strikes again!**

**Poor Seamus, he gets all the abuse. I love him, though :)**

**This was not as long, but it only took about a day to write an edit.**

**Review?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Warning: This contains mild SLASH. Male/male relationships! There will be nothing graphic, but if the idea freaks you out... You have been warned.**

**Last chapter, actually very short. I felt like extending it too much would make it... tacky. It just didn't feel right, and I kept with my instincts to not dwell so much on some of the unimportant things.**

**Sorry if this disappoints..**

**ALSO: If you think you're reading the same thing twice, you're not! Don't stop because of that. Read carefully.**

:::

The next day and a half went by in a blur of humiliation for Ginny. Hermione had taken the cloak again, and scolded her on stealing and stalking again. The entire time Ginny just sat there, took it, didn't even bother to defend herself. People kept giving her odd and jeering looks in the hallway. She sat with her usual friends at meals, walked with them to class, but they didn't seem to want her around much.

She avoided Harry, but worked on her list, subtracting names as appropriate. She couldn't follow him around anymore, but she could go by what she saw at meals, during free time, and in the halls. At the end of the first day, she crossed out Parvati's name.

Two days after what Ginny was referring to as "the incident" she was taking a walk around the lake when she heard voices. She looked up, only to see two of her least favorite people in the world walking around the other way- Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini. _They _are_ still on my list, though... _

They seemed to notice her too, as they were walking straight towards her. "Weasley," Parkinson called out when they were about four feet away.

Ginny nodded at them, not really wanting to start anything. She started to walk past them, but apparently they weren't going to let that happen.

"Nice show you gave us Monday." Parkinson said, smirking a little. "Did Finnegan put his dirty lips on your little Potter?"

Ginny just gazed coldly at them. "Do you need something or can I continue my walk?" she asked.

"We were actually going to talk to you, if you don't mind." this time it was Zabini who spoke.

"I _do_ mind, but I see no way out of this. What do you want?"

"Has Potter told you who he's engaged to yet?"

Ginny felt her face heat up a little. "No, and even if he had, I wouldn't tell you."

"Oh, that's a shame. I would have thought that they would have..." Parkinson trailed off, looking thoughtful.

"They? _You _know who it is?" Ginny asked, disbelieving

"We will neither confirm nor deny that question." Zabini told the red-head, then added "Slytherins have very useful resources, you know. I suppose that's all, then. Have a nice walk."

The two continued on, heads bent as thought they were whispering to each other. Ginny just stared after them. _Well, that eliminates them. I might as well eliminate Malfoy too, then. He and Harry have been enemies forever._

At the end of the second day, she crossed out Malfoy, Parkinson, and Mbini's names. She didn't even remember why she had kept them on there in the first place.

She was left with no leads, no suspects. She had come up with the idea of it being a teacher... and then almost immediately felt her stomach flip over horribly. She quickly dismissed that thought. She was so close to just waiting along with everybody else, but decided to continue her investigation one more day. She kept as close a watch as she could on Harry without drawing suspicion, but he did the same things, talked to the same people, as far as she could tell.

The next day after classes, Hermione approached her in the Common Room, looking nervous. "Ginny, Harry wants to talk to you. He's in his dorm..." Ginny nodded, and turned away, a feeling of dread beginning to settle on her heart. "Oh- Ginny," Hermione called out, remembering something. "Don't give him a hard time. People will ridicule him enough." Ginny nodded, then walked up the stairs.

She knocked on the door, and Harry answered. He smiled, and then led her over to the bed farthest away from the door. She stood in front of it, not wanting to sit down.

"Ginny, hey, umm... I- we wanted to tell you before everyone else. I know this may be hard for you, but... I need you to understand that I'm really very happy and would be even happier if you accepted us. I am going through with this, but I do love you," he told her, and she was up on cloud for one small, insignificant moment, before he said, "like a sister." She came falling off of the cloud and landed back on the bed.

He smiled gently before taking a few steps back and nodding.

Ginny watched in horror as a pale, blonde_ boy _walked in the open door and took Harry's hand.

Ginny was so shocked she froze. Harry saw the look on her face and started hurrying to explain. "He's not who he used to be. He's changed. He never became a Death Eater. I love him, Ginny."

Ginny's brain was only processing about half of the words coming out of Harry's mouth.

It made sense. Malfoy being reasonably polite, Harry getting jealous over that picture. The Order not liking him, because his father was a Death Eater. Zabini and Parkinson, yesterday at the lake.

As she stood, looking into their eyes, the biggest thing hit her: the ring.

It was a perfect combination of their eye colors.

And now Malfoy was wearing an identical one on his left hand.

For a split second it felt like her world shattered.

Ginny blacked out.

When she awoke, it was to hushed voices, one of which she immediately recognized as Harry's. She also realized that she was not lying on the floor, but on something soft, presumably a bed.

"Maybe this wasn't a good idea..." Harry's voice said wearily.

"You think? A joke gone too far..." the other, still unidentified voice, said.

Harry sighed. "This was not how I imagined it going. She was supposed to get angry, and then I was supposed to just get down on one knee, and..."

"Hmm. I think she's waking up."

Ginny groaned, and opened her eyes. She sat up, squinting around at her companions. "What's going on? I heard something... a joke?"

Harry took her hands in his, and said, "Oh, Gin. I'm so sorry! This really went too far. I just-" he sighed, apparently giving up on speech at the moment, and got on one knee.

"Ginevra Weasley, will you marry me?"

Ginny should have been happy. She _was_ happy.

So why did she black out again?

When she awoke, she was back on her previously occupied couch in the Common Room.

Hermione once again approached her, looking nervous. "Ginny, Harry wants to talk to you. He's in his dorm..." Ginny just stared at her. _Oh my god. What the hell?_ Ginny decided to go along with it, pretend nothing was wrong. This had happened to other wizards before, so she nodded and stood up, heading for the dormitory again.

"Oh- Ginny," Hermione yelled to her. "Don't give him a hard time. People will ridicule him enough."

She knocked on the door, and Harry answered. He smiled, and then led her over to the bed farthest away from the door. She sat down this time.

"Ginny, hey, umm... I- we wanted to tell you before everyone else. I know this may be hard for you, but... I need you to understand that I'm really very happy and would be even happier if you accepted us. I am going through with this, but I do love you like a sister." he told her, again.

He smiled gently before taking a few steps back and nodding.

Ginny watched as Draco Malfoywalked in the open door and took Harry's hand. Again. Not a surprise this time.

Ginny was confused, to say the least. The two boys looked into each other's eyes, looking so in love it seemed to stop Ginny's heart for a second. Whoa_ What? _Harry saw the look on her face and misinterpreted confusion for repulsion and hurried to explain. "He's not who he used to be. He's changed. He never became a Death Eater. I love him, Ginny."

Ginny's brain was in overload. _Maybe I... should just... play along. I already know he's going to propose, so..._

Ginny blacked out, again.

When she awoke, it was to hushed voices, one of which she recognized as Harry's, and the other as Malfoy's, as this had already happened to her.

"Maybe this wasn't a good idea..." Harry voice said wearily.

"We had to tell her eventually. It's not like it could be a secret forever." Malfoy said.

Ginny became even more confused. _That's not what he said last time..._

"I know, but..." Harry sighed.

"Don't blame yourself. You knew this was how she would react. She's probably going to start hexing me the second she wakes up. And if she doesn't have her wand, it'll just be brute force."

Ginny had realized this wasn't the same as last time. She just hoped this time was... a dream, or something.

Another sigh from Harry. "I honestly don't know why she's so keen on punching people, poor Seamus has-"

"Oh yes, bring Finnegan into it. The boy who just _had _to lay his lips on my fiancé. You're lucky the Weaslette here got to him before I did. He would have come out looking much worse than he did."

"Please don't start on that again. I told you he's sorry about it, and will not do it again. It wasn't even a direct kiss on the lips. Not much of a big deal."

"Really? Not a big deal? How about I go get Pansy to kiss me on the cheek a couple of times; see how you feel about_ that_."

"Hmm. I see your point, but-"

It became evident it wasn't necessarily a dream. _Ohgodohgodohgod._

Ginny sat up suddenly, opened her eyes, and looked around wildly. Harry gave a small shout in surprise, and Malfoy jumped a little.

"Ginny!" Harry called, looking relieved "You're finally awake, I was scared you were-"

_Slap! _Ginny forgot this _could_ be a dream.

Harry was cut off by Ginny slapping him, and hard. Tears came to her eyes, and she glared at him through narrow eyes."I- I don't even know what to say to you." she told him in a dangerously low voice. She then whirled on Malfoy, who was giving her a glare for slapping his fiancé "And you! I don't even know how to describe how completely and utterly _disgusted_ I am!" she yelled at him, trying to not lose control. "I guess your pampered life wasn't enough, huh? Just had to go and deceive your way into Harry's heart! What potion did you use? Or was it a curse? Maybe you even enchanted the ring?" she seemed very calm, given the situation, but inside she felt like she was going to explode from the sheer overwhelming feeling of several profound emotions trying to take over her mind at once.

"Oh, it was just my natural charm." Malfoy dead-panned. Ginny's eyes narrowed even more.

"Was it your idea for the ring, then? Your eye colors, how _cute_." she spat out the last word like it was filthy.

She rounded back on Harry, who was frowning, eyebrows creased.

"I was right. I had this suspicion, you see. It started out broad, with many people on it. It got smaller and smaller, until eventually only Malfoy here was left. I discarded that thought easily, figured I missed something. I thought there was no way you would ever do that to me- to us. I guess I was wrong about that." Harry's frown had grown more and more pronounced throughout her speech.

"I hope you don't expect me to ever talk to you after today."

Harry was the one who looked stunned this time; as if he had been slapped again, except harder.

"Gin, I never expected your full blessing, or anything, it's just... isn't that a little far?"

Ginny barked out a laugh that was anything but humorous. "Hardly." she said, and then walked out of the room, sensing two pairs of eyes following her movement.

She was supposed to walk out into the hallway, but instead felt like she had blacked out again. She woke on the couch. Again.

_Shit. Not again._

Hermione walked up to her, nervous once more. "Ginny, Harry wants to talk to you. He's in his dorm..." Ginny walked to the stairs again, Hermione following, Ginny noted. _That's new._

Ginny knocked on the door, and Harry answered. He smiled, and then led her over to the bed farthest away from the door. She sat, like last time.

"Ginny, hey, umm... I- we wanted to tell you before everyone else. I know this may be hard for you, but... I need you to understand that I'm really very happy and would be even happier if you accepted us. I am going through with this, but I do love you like a sister."

He smiled gently before taking a few steps back and taking Hermione's hand.

Ginny blacked out, again. She found herself back on the couch. She felt like screaming out in frustration. _What the hell is going on?! _She was starting to panic. She had heard of your subconscious revisiting a scene twice... but three times? Something was going on.

She almost groaned when Hermione came over to her again. She didn't even bothering waiting for Hermione to speak, knowing what she would say. She sprinted up the steps to the boy's dormitory, wanting to get his over with. She hurriedly knocked on the door, and Harry answered. He smiled, and then led her over to the bed farthest away from the door. She sat.

"Ginny, hey, umm... I- we wanted to tell you before everyone else. I know this may be hard for you, but... I need you to understand that I'm really very happy and would be even happier if you accepted us. I am going through with this, but I do love you like a sister." She half-listened to the speech for the third time, wondering who it would be this time.

He smiled that smile again, and then nodded for what Ginny dearly hoped was the last time.

Ginny watched as Seamuswalked in the door and took Harry's hand, grinning.

"I'm sorry, Ginny."

Seamus nodded.

Ginny finally spoke. "So- but, didn't you, and asking about his fiancé, and... what?!"

And then the oddest thing happened.

Ginny woke up.

:::  
**Odd? Why yes, I am.**

**Not quite sure if that made sense... probably not, but leave a review about it anyway!**

**Also, this is the end of this story for the time being. Maybe in the future I'll decide to come back and do more, but not anytime soon.**


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